Filed to story: The Wolf Prince’s Fated Love
“You can’t do this, Brielle. Please, don’t do this to me. Don’t make me watch you fight today. Not after what you did for my pack. You were excellent, utter perfection. And it will rip my heart out of my chest to watch you risk yourself for me.”
She placed a whisper-soft palm on my cheek, stroking with her thumb, making my wolf howl in despair. “Kane, son of Kosta, son of Konstantin, high alpha of wolves… I love you. I love you, I choose you, I will fight this fight to claim you, and
I will not lose.”
She pressed up on her toes and sealed her lips to mine, the effect instantaneous. Every cell of my body wanted her, so I wove my fingers into her hair, tipping her head back. I deepened the kiss, parting her luscious lips and delving deep. She gave so sweetly, everything she had, holding nothing back, and a rumble rattled free of my chest as my blood heated and I resisted the urge to take her down to the ground and claim her right here.
When the kiss was done, she pulled back, a sadness in her eyes that struck me like a knife to my chest. I couldn’t breathe when she looked at me that way. Without another word, she turned and jogged off toward the dormitories. She left me standing alone in the too-still forest, watching her take my heart away with her.
The ground was prepared, the crowd gathered. The large earthen circle was ringed with spectators already, though neither challenger was yet present. The quiet, constant murmur mixed with the energy of so many wolves in the air had my teeth on edge.
“High alpha! We’ve got a place for you here.”
Vance, Alpha of the Northern Territories pack, was smiling, jovial, at the thought of a challenge today. While I knew it would be awful diplomacy to do it, in that moment, it was only my iron control that kept me from eviscerating him. My mate was not to be used for sport, wolf way or not.
Alpha Todd of Johnson City stood scowling at his side, his mood much more closely resembling mine. As I approached, he shoved forward, stepping in front of the other male.
“I would like to formally contest that this challenge not be to the death, on behalf of Brielle of the Johnson City pack.”
I nodded solemnly, as if I were considering the request and hadn’t already arranged every one of my enforcers around the circle in plain clothes. Each and every one had orders to step in before a killing blow against Brielle could be struck, or sooner if she fainted out of her wolf form.
I knew the law. I knew the old ways, that I would be expected to bond and mate Jasline. But I wouldn’t, not when I knew what fate had for me. She could issue the challenge, and I might have to see it through, but I could and would still reject her. There was no wolf alive or dead that had the power to force my teeth into her neck.
“I accept your request. The challenge will be to submission.”
Vance growled, joviality gone in an instant. “You expect Jasline to live and lead at your side with one eye over her shoulder? No! A challenge is to the death. You can’t change the terms now. I won’t stand for it.”
I turned ice-cold eyes on him and stepped up to his chest. He was a good four inches shorter than I, and craned his neck back, looking up at me. He met my eyes in rank defiance of the differences of our position.
“If you find my decision flawed, you are more than welcome to issue a challenge of your own, and we will use this circle for a death match. The she-wolves can fight another day.” Normally, I had to hold in my dominance, pull back on the alpha power that rode me so heavily, but for once, I let it all out to hang in the air like a cloak.
Gael was at my side, adding menace to the threat as the weaker alpha choked and grabbed his throat.
He waved a hand and backed away as he lowered his gaze. When I eased up just enough so the man could breathe again, he finally gasped an answer. “No, High Alpha. I do not wish to issue a challenge. We will accept the modified terms of submission.”
“As it should be. Tell your wolves that if any should cross me or defy my decree, I will put the offender to death by my own hand.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
Todd and Vance both nodded in grim acceptance, and I pulled back the dominance another notch. I’d gotten what I wanted, and I couldn’t afford to keep letting my wolf out of control, or I’d lose it as soon as Jasline took the first swipe at Brielle.
And no matter what, I had to maintain control. If I went feral over my mate, not even Gael could stop me.
I declined the prepared seat, turning my back to it as I stood at the edge of the circle, flanked by the two packs’ Alphas as was customary.
That was when I felt her. My wolf perked up, the first delicate notes of her jasmine-and-apple scent reaching me over the muddled chaos of the crowd. The mass of bodies parted, making a clear path for her to the circle. She was radiant, though I spotted the dark circles under her eyes. Her silky brunette hair was tied back in a braid and pinned close to her scalp, leaving nothing for an opponent to grab or use against her. She wore all-black stretchy athletic pants and a sports bra that I wanted to peel her out of with my teeth when this was over.
It had been more than a week since I’d been inside her, and my wolf needed to claim her again, love her again. After this, I would demand that we never spend another night apart.
She loved me.
I couldn’t believe she’d said the words, but I wanted to hold them close to my chest, use them as a shield to protect her from the whole world, if she’d let me.
But my mate was strong and stubborn, and I knew she wouldn’t. All I could do was watch her spread her wings and wait and catch her when she fell.
Because I would always catch her when she fell.
FORTY
Brielle
Jasline stepped into the ring, and the noise of the wolves around us rose to a fever pitch. She was grinning, but the expression was so sharp, I could see her already-shifted fangs. She was practically feral at the idea of ripping me to pieces, and a cold tingle ran down my spine. I didn’t flinch, though. Didn’t let myself show the fear that tried to worm its way through me.
I was Kane’s fated mate. No amount of choking dominance rolling off her would change that, and no amount of fear would change what I was here to do. I was here to claim my mate, and nothing and nobody would stop me. She began to pace around the circle, staking the claim on her space. I followed the motion, pacing in the opposite direction so that we stayed squared off.
Kane’s scent hit me, and I allowed myself a single second to drink in the delicious sight of him, standing there brooding at the head of the ring. He was dark and dangerous, and I wanted to climb him like an oak tree when this was over.
Because I would win. Shay and Leigh had pumped me full of coffee and some weird runner’s goo for energy-gross, but whatever worked at this point-and helped me into my badass uniform as Leigh had dubbed it. She insisted psychology was half the battle.
Jasline was expecting an easy win, and if I could do anything-big or small-to disabuse her of that notion, that surprise might be the window I needed to knock her flat and end this in my favor.
“Pack mates and friends!” A thunderous clap rolled over the field, Jasline’s Alpha stepping up to toe the chalk line that made the boundary as he addressed us all.
Everyone froze, except Jasline. She kept circling like some kind of feral land shark, so I did too.
“We are here today to oversee a challenge for mating rights to Kane, son of Kosta, son of Konstantin, high alpha of the greatest shifters in the world!” He raised a fist at the end of his proclamation, and the onlookers as one went wild.
It was history in the making; I understood that, but it was so much more to me. It was my life, and I started to get angry.
The flush started at my chest and slowly rose up my neck. I was probably turning red, my scent sharpening in the air, but I didn’t care. These people acted like this was a freaking game of football, when I might die today.
I let myself lock eyes with Kane when I was across the circle from him. He held my gaze, and I could see the fury burning at the edges of him. He looked relaxed, but his hands told the story. One was clenched, the other half-shifted. It was subtle, but I knew in that moment that we were in sync. Already, we were bonded. Already, we were mates.